Three strong and different directors: William Wyler, Clint Eastwood and Terry Gilliam

As a rule I don't watch movies more than once, especially since I've started this project. I have over 850 (it doesn't seem like that number is coming down AT ALL) movies to review (more with the coming Oscar season). However, if I don't have a good enough recall of the movie, or my feelings about the movie, to write, then I'll consider re-watching. The fact that I happened to re-watch three movies over the past week or so was just a strange coincidence.

11/16/14 Wuthering Heights, Best Cinematography B&W, 1939 National Film Registry

Other winners from 1939 have been covered in previous entries, but that was an amazing year for movies. The year of Gone with the Wind, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Wizard of Oz, Stagecoach and Wuthering Heights. Films with Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, James Stewart, Judy Garland, John Wayne and Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon. Wow. I was lucky enough to see Gone with the Wind, Wizard of Oz and Wuthering Heights on the big screen. This review is for Wuthering Heights, most recently seen on my beloved 20 year old television. Whenever I think of Wuthering Heights, the first thing that comes into my mind is the song by Kate Bush ("Wuthering, wuthering, wuthering heights; Heathcliff...), then the book by Emily Bronte, and finally the movie. William Wyler directed, he also directed Mrs. Miniver (reviewed below), Roman Holiday and The Best Years of Our Lives (to name just a few). Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon star as Heathcliff and Cathy, star-crossed lovers if there was. David Niven and Geraldine Fitzgerald are brother and sister, Edgar and Isabella Linton. The movie tells the story of Heathcliff and Cathy, but it does not copy or mimic the book totally, and unless you're one of those literalists, you'll be fine and should enjoy the movie on its merits. The movie is told using flashback, with the housekeeper, Ellen (Flora Robson) telling an unwanted visitor, Mr. Lockwood, the story of why Heathcliff is so miserable. Heathcliff is a street urchin who Mr. Earnshaw finds in the city and brings home to his estate in Yorkshire, Wuthering Heights. His two children, Hindlay and Cathy are not immediately thrilled with this new addition, although Heathcliff and Cathy quickly build a friendship. Hindlay doesn't like Heathcliff, and that dislike eventually turns into a bitter hatred. Even though Mr. Earnshaw tried to treat Heathcliff as part of the family, Earnshaw's death dramatically shifts the family dynamics. Hindlay shows himself to be a true tyrant, driving Heathcliff away; Heathcliff asks Cathy to come with him, but while she loves the romanticism of their relationship, she fears the unknown and really doesn't want to leave the comforts and familiarity of the estate.  Heathcliff leaves a pauper, but returns many years later as a well-to-do lord of the manor, in fact, lord of Wuthering Heights. He tries to win Cathy back, but she is flighty and tempted by the security and wealth of Edgar Linton. Heathcliff seems driven by a desire for revenge for his treatment by the Earnshaws and Linton; in fact, he marries Isabella seemingly out of spite, there doesn't seem to be any love on his part. Cathy is the only person Heathcliff loves, but he just can't make that work; her death leaves a large hole in his blackened heart. Olivier plays Heathcliff with a moodiness that reminded me of his Hamlet or Maxim de Winter in Rebecca, but it works, I think, because he really is a dramatic, gloomy character whose heart has been broken. Merle Oberon as Cathy was good, but I don't now if she was overwhelmed or overshadowed by Olivier and Niven or if that was what Wyler wanted. On the other hand, I think Vivien Leigh, who wanted the role, would have been too much. Oberon is far less known to audiences today than Leigh, but she was in many movies through the 1930s. Color film was available in this period, because it obviously was, but Wuthering Heights is served very well by the black and white cinematography (Oscar-winning) and the moodiness of the moors comes through and is a key element in the film, as well as in the Bronte novel. This would be a good movie to watch with the fire blazing this winter as well as a great book to read.

11/22/2014 Mrs. Miniver, Outstanding Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Writing, Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress, Best Cinematography, B&W, National Film Registry, 1942

Whenever movies about the English spirit during World War II are discussed, you almost always see a clip from Mrs. Miniver, at least that's how I heard about it. The movie was directed by William Wyler, and stars Greer Garson (Pride and Prejudice, and the voice of the narrator in The Little Drummer Boy), Walter Pidgeon (Forbidden Planet, Advise and Consent), Teresa Wright and Dame May Whitty (both nominated for Best Supporting Actress, with Wright winning). At first the movie seems very slow paced and you kind of wonder when stuff is going to happen. The script sets up the idyllic life in the English village, with everyone knowing everyone else. There is a storyline that has been used in Downton Abbey, with the stationmaster, Mr. Ballard, naming his rose after Mrs. Miniver, and competing directly against Lady Beldon (Dame May Whitty), which is unheard of as she has been unchallenged for over 20 years (in Downton the Dowager faces competition from the gardener). Mr. and Mrs. Miniver have three children, two younger ones and an older son who is at university, Vin. Through one of those movie moments, Vin and Carol Beldon (Teresa Wright) meet and eventually fall in love, even though Vin is not a fan of the class system and the hierarchy of which Carol's family is a part. The war kind of creeps in to the Minivers' lives, compared to other stories about war, the violence and destruction is initially not seen; even the battle of Dunkirk, which was a major event for the British, was told as Mr. Miniver and other men got their boats ready to go rescue the men and women at Dunkirk, and as he comes back, utterly exhausted. Vin does his part by enlisting in the air force, and his stationed at a base near his family. Then, the bombing the started, and then everything changed. You felt the claustrophobia of the bomb shelters, and the fear of the children. It was pretty intense for a movie that didn't really have the special effects that we are so used to in movies today. At the flower show, a moment that seemed so pastoral and so 'typically' English turns sad and harsh in a matter of seconds. The village is bombed and death and destruction fall on the families in the village. While I did feel that it took a little while for me to get into the movie and the family, about 40-50 minutes into it (it's over 2 hours) I was there, all in; rooting for the village and remembering an exhibit I saw years ago in London at the War Museum about life during the war. It was also interesting to me to remember that the movie was made in 1942 - during the war, the writers, the director and the cast had no idea how the war would end; it was made before America joined the war, so America was 'neutral' for a little while longer. The last scene gave me shivers. This is another movie I am surprised does not get more airplay on television; instead of those Hallmark movies that are just muck and saccharine, they should show movies like Mrs. Miniver. It's got family values, patriotism, two love stories. Just my opinion.

11/23/14 The Fisher King, Best Supporting Actress, 1991

This is another movie that I saw years ago, didn't like, but didn't really remember a whole lot, so I thought I should watch it again with fresh eyes. I'm glad I did. Terry Gilliam (of Monty Python fame, and originally from Minneapolis) directed, and Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges starred in this modern variation on the quest for the Holy Grail. I saw it as a quest for redemption (I don't know if those two are connected at all, I'm not as deeply versed in Arthurian legend as some). Bridges plays Jack Lucas, an obnoxious radio disc jockey who regularly insults his audience; and Williams is Parry, a homeless man. The men are connected by a series of coincidences. Lucas incites one of his listeners to go on a rampage at a restaurant and the listener kills Parry's wife. This drives Parry into a catatonic state and removes him from his previous life as a university professor and turns him into a man on a quest for the Holy Grail. Lucas finds himself on the wrong side of town being attacked by a couple of guys and Parry and his friends rescue Jack. Parry shows a view of his life, and Jack feels a sense of guilt and a need to help and save Parry. Jack has also lost his job at the radio station and now works in a video store with his sort of girlfriend, Anne (Mercedes Ruehl in her Oscar-winning role). Parry is obsessed with a young woman who is very awkward and a loner, Lydia (Amanda Plummer - I don't think I've ever seen her in a 'regular' role); and he follows her all over New York City. Eventually, Jack fixes up a date for Lydia and Parry. It sort of goes well, until Parry has a setback and experiences a vision of a demon that haunts and terrifies him. Parry has a quest to find what he thinks is the Holy Grail that is at the home of wealthy New Yorker, but he is unable to complete it, so Jack tries for him. Jack is still seeking redemption for his part in the death of Parry's wife. When I first watched this, I only recall not caring at all about the characters; I don't know if I was turned off by Jack Lucas's self-involvement, or I was too immature to understand Parry's character or didn't quite understand Gilliam's style. I'm MUCH older now, and get that some characters have to start out as assholes so they can grow and evolve and become people you care about (Lucas) or appreciating Williams as Parry, struggling with mental illness with breaks of lucidity. I also have a much better liking of Gilliam's films (Brazil being my favorite, and the one kept drawing comparisons with here) and his little quirks and tendencies. What I usually take away from Gilliam's films, but not so much here, is the color, I always enjoy just looking at them, Brazil, The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen (also with Williams) and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. The only 'visual' that I picked up on was the Red Knight that haunted Parry, 'he' was portrayed in bursts of color, fire red, often standing out in the darker background. If you haven't seen the movie in a while or have never seen it, I would recommend it. Williams was nominated as Best Actor but lost out to Anthony Hopkins, playing a psychopath in The Silence of the Lambs; 1991 was the year of psycho- and sociopaths, with Robert DeNiro nominated for his role in Cape Fear and Warren Beatty for playing gangster Bugsy Siegel in Bugsy. 

11/26/14 Draft Day, not yet nominated 2014

When I say that Draft Day is not yet nominated, I say that wistfully like maybe it could be nominated for something, but knowing that is probably never going to happen. Draft Day covers roughly 12 hours before the NFL draft and the draft itself, focusing on The Cleveland Browns and their quest to escape mediocrity. I'm not sure what we Cleveland Browns fans would do if that ever happened, but this was just a movie. The movie was filmed around Cleveland, and they had great weather (Cleveland looks so much better in the sunlight) and there are some beautiful views of downtown, MY downtown. (Sigh). Kevin Costner plays Sonny Weaver, Jr., the General Manger of the Browns and son of a legendary coach; Jennifer Garner is Ali Parker, who also works for the Browns. Ellen Burstyn is Weaver's mother, who is kind of shrill and annoying; Frank Langella is Anthony Molina the owner of the Browns (perhaps it's just coincidence, but A M are also the initials of former Browns owner, Art Modell - a man long despised for moving the Browns to Baltimore in the mid-90s). Weaver is so desperate to have a good draft, that he makes some very suspect moves, moves that drive his new coach (Dennis Leary) crazy, almost give his owner a heart attack, but as Costner often does, just tells everyone to trust him. This movie gives viewers a look at a process that is covered in the press, but with a peak behind the curtain; I don't have any firsthand experience with this, aside from my Fantasy Football drafts, so it seemed somewhat plausible, and then it didn't. Weaver is wrestling with his decisions - go with the number one rated player or go with another player who has a stronger moral center and work ethic. He fakes to the right, then goes to the left. I liked the ending, and as a Cleveland fan, I was rooting for Weaver, but will this go down as one of the great sports movies ever? Hardly. Probably won't even make the top fifty, BUT, as a movie about one of the most beloved underdog franchises and cities in the country, it was a fun watch. I got it for a dollar from the library. Go Browns!!

11/27/14 Unforgiven, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing, #68 on AFI, National Film Registry, 1992

I was going to say I picked a lot of movies exceeding two hours, but I didn't pick this one; it just happened to be on television on Thanksgiving. But it was long, made longer by the commercials. This is third movie in this selection that I re-watched. I remember liking it the first time, but I couldn't remember enough to write about it. Eastwood starred in and directed Unforgiven; Eastwood played William Munny, a retired gunfighter who is now struggling to maintain his family farm with his two young children on the prairies of Kansas, sober and law-abiding.  A young man, the Schofield Kid, comes to ask Munny to help him take the bounty for killing two cowboys in Wyoming who brutally scarred a prostitute. Now, I have to point out that I am known for being directionally dysfunctional, but I find it hard to believe that someone in Kansas, even if it was the northwestern tip of the state, would head to Wyoming on horseback. Maybe that's worrying about a silly detail, but it kind of bugged me. Anyway, back to the story. Munny initially turns the Kid down, saying he doesn't do that anymore, but I think the struggle with his porcine residents changed his mind, so he heads out after him, stopping by the farm of his friend and fellow gunfighter, Ned Logan, played by Morgan Freeman. Ned and Will decide to catch up with the Kid and after some bickering about splitting the bounty three ways, the trio head off to Big Whiskey, Wyoming; Ned and Will also figure out that the Kid is near-sighted, kind of a bad thing. Meanwhile, back in Big Whiskey, the town is run by a tough, no-nonsense sheriff called Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman), who turns out to be quite sadistic to people he doesn't like, like gunfighters coming to town to collect the reward money. English Bob (Richard Harris) is one of those men; English Bob has a reputation that has crossed the ocean, and he's very sure of himself. Somehow, and I may have missed this, but he gets caught totally unawares by Little Bill when he gets into Big Whiskey; Bill kicks the crap out of him with barely a rejoinder from English Bob. He gets tossed into jail and has to listen to Bill taunting him and tearing down his mythology to Mr. Beauchamp, a journalist following Bob. After a while, Bill sends English Bob out of town, threatens him to never come back, and then co-opts Beauchamp to listen to his boasting. The movie was over two hours long, and it could have been comfortably trimmed by removing English Bob; to me, the only thing that was accomplished was to show what a sadistic son of a bitch Little Bill was, which could have been demonstrated in other ways, which it was on Munny and Ned (just an observation, Hackman played a similar character, in The Quick and the Dead, John Herod). It was a waste of a talent like Harris. Will and company finally get to Big Whiskey and Little Bill finds out and beats the crap out of Will (do you see a pattern?); the trio pulls back so Will can recover from his injuries. They eventually set out to complete the task at hand, killing the two cowboys, but killing isn't as easy as it used to be, especially with the men being sober and having a few years of normalcy in their past. After several missed and non-fatal shots, they finally kill Davey-Boy, but it's too much for Ned and he heads back to his wife and his farm. Unfortunately, Ned doesn't make it back, and he is tortured by Little Bill for information on his two conspirators. The Kid and Will finish off the other cowboy, Quick Mike; collect their reward, and then find out that Ned didn't make it back home. Will finally takes on Little Bill and his deputies and hangers-on. The movie won for Best Picture and Best Director and while I think the movie was good and Eastwood did a good job directing, I don't think the competition in this year was as tough as in other years, like 2013 for example. Movies like Howard's End, The Crying Game and Scent of a Woman were among the movies released that year. I'm not saying they were bad movies, I'm just saying there was no Dallas Buyer's Club or 12 Years a Slave. Hackman beat newcomer Jaye Davidson from The Crying Game, Jack Nicholson from A Few Good Men and Al Pacino in Glengarry Glen Ross (which is a movie that you don't hear a lot about these days). Since I've started this project, I have gotten a better appreciation for westerns, so I don't sneer at them like I used to, and I didn't sneer here. I liked the movie the first time I saw it and I liked it the second time. Eastwood is a flawed character, and you want Munny to get out of this situation in one piece, and I admired his loyalty to his friendship with Ned. Eastwood said this would be his last western, and it was only the third Western to win Best Picture, Cimarron and Dances with Wolves are the other two.